Who would have ever thought that the earnings of a nasi lemak seller can surpass that of an engineer.

But this is one of the things shared by ‘Nasi Lemak Anak Dara’ business owner Siti Hajjar Ahmad, who holds an electronic engineering degree from Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia.

Siti Hajjar, who graduated in June, first decided to sell nasi lemak while waiting for her job applications to be answered after she came to the Klang Valley from her home town.

However she later discovered that the salary offered to fresh engineering graduates is actually far less than what she can make selling nasi lemak on the ground floor of the Shah Alam flat that she was renting.

“After graduating in June, about three months ago, I have received at least five calls for interview through (online jobs site) Jobstreet, I was actually offered a position early last month.

“But what I earn now is better than what was offered at the company, what more I am less inclined as the job will make me busy. If possible I would like to have free time,” she told Malaysiakini in an interview.

While she refused to disclose how much she earns a month, she hinted that on average she sells 200 packets of nasi lemak a day, starting at RM1.50 for a regular packet, to about RM3.50 for nasi lemak with spiced fried chicken, not to mention all the orders for extra sambal and other requested items.

It does not take much for us to do the maths, perhaps, and see how she can say that the basic salary that most engineers start out with at RM2,000 a month, is not as lucrative.

What more, if compared with the long tiring hours that she needs to put in as a junior engineer, she said.

Siti Hajjar, whose convocation will be this Saturday, admitted that in the beginning her mother was not terribly fond of her decision to stick to selling nasi lemak instead of becoming an engineer, what with her higher education degree.

However, after observing the 24-year old’s dedication to her chosen vocation, her mother finally relented.

‘In business we learn a lot more’

“My mum asked why I wanted to sell nasi lemak? She said that with my education getting a job would be better. (However I argued that) working for others, I would only make enough to make do.

“But in business we learn a lot more, (figure out) how to solve problems, and this will make us more mature. Which was why she gave me until next year,” Siti Hajjar said.

However the electronic engineering graduate said that whether she eventually gets a job or not, she will still engage in her newfound passion even if only as a sideline.

Siti Hajjar made the headlines when he stall was visited by none other than Selangor MB Azmin Ali, who dropped by to hand over the forms for her to apply for a hawker’s licence, as she was previously operating without one.

The visit followed her being given a compound of RM2,000 by the Shah Alam City Hall for operating her stall without a licence, news of which became viral on social media and made her the talk of the town, in Shah Alam at least.

Siti Hajjar said that despite the compound, she was not deterred and had started to operate from home instead, resorting to personally making trips to deliver her nasi lemak to customers.

“At times I would make the trip up and down the stairs nine times each day just to deliver orders, many called to order after they got my number from Facebook.

“After I was compounded, I operated from home. It is actually not that tiring as what I am doing is something that I love,” she said.

Tomorrow: ‘Nasi Lemak Anak Dara’ owner unfazed by lewd calls, pix